Global bacon shortage predicted for 2013

A United Kingdom group is warning that a bacon and pork shortage in Britain is “unavoidable” and may already be a global problem.

Britain’s National Pig Association said in a press release that new data shows that the European Union pig herd is declining at a significant rate, a trend mirrored around the world. In a statement, the group warns that pig farmers are losing money because of high pig-feed costs caused by global failure of maize and soya harvests.

The association says that in the U.S., the government has introduced a pork-buying program in a bid to keep its pig farmers in business. The Chinese government is putting pork into cold storage, as a buffer against high prices and shortages next year, the group reports.

Pig industry leaders met this month to explore ways to ensure pork remains the world’s “most affordable red meat.” They reported that pig herds are being sold because prices are not rising fast enough in supermarkets to cover the cost of record-high pig-feed costs, according to the association.

“It usually takes at least six months for higher production costs to filter through to shop prices — but pig farmers simply haven’t got that long,” said National Pig Association chairman Richard Longthorp, who farms outdoor pigs in Yorkshire. “Some have got only a few weeks left before they run out of credit at the bank and have to sell up, and this is happening all over Europe.”